Partner’s material
When Uğur Cooling Inc. Co. – a global leader in beverage refrigeration – set out to transform the efficiency of its best-selling coolers, the goal was as ambitious as it was strategic: move from Energy Class B to Class A and stay ahead of the rapidly evolving sustainability expectations of the beverage industry.
To turn this vision into reality, Uğur turned to a trusted long-term partner Eliwell by Schneider Electric.
Uğur: a Global Pioneer in Cooling Solutions
With over 250,000 m² of production space, 2,500+ employees, and 1.2 million coolers manufactured each year, Uğur is one of the most respected names in refrigeration.
Its solutions support iconic global brands including Unilever, Danone, Nestlé, Pepsi, Coca Cola, Heineken, Red Bull, and many more.
But leadership also means anticipating change. And Europe’s evolving energy efficiency regulation -combined with beverage brands’ commitment to sustainability – were clear signals:
by 2027, only Class A commercial coolers will meet market expectations.
So Uğur decided to start the transition now.
The Challenge: Reimagining Efficiency
Upgrading a commercial cooler from Class B to Class A is no simple task.
It requires rethinking insulation, hardware, and—most importantly—the intelligence behind the system.
Together, Uğur and Eliwell explored multiple avenues: new door technologies, high efficiency compressors, and advanced electronics.
The choice became clear: unlock the full potential of variable speed compressors through an innovative control strategy.
This is where the partnership flourished.
A Collaboration Built on Shared Expertise
Eliwell and Uğur engineers worked side by side, running hundreds of hours of lab tests under challenging conditions – 25°C with 80% humidity – where each cooler had to reach the target temperature within 13 hours.
“We combined our control electronics expertise with Uğur’s deep application knowledge. Together, we developed optimized algorithms for our EWNext platform, testing multiple approaches until we found the one that delivered the breakthrough,”
says Michele Dal Molin, Senior Business Development Manager, Sales for Eliwell.
The result? A new way of controlling the cooler: precise, responsive, and remarkably efficient.
The Breakthrough: Eliwell EWNext 978 P/BI
At the heart of the transformation is the Eliwell EWNext 978 P/BI, a custom engineered controller designed specifically for Uğur’s beverage applications.
Its strengths include:
-
A highly flexible parameter architecture for fine-tuned adaptation
-
Advanced variable speed compressor management
-
Optimized control of fans and defrost cycles
-
Dynamic modulation of refrigeration capacity
The controller continuously adapts power to real cooling demand, ensuring both efficiency and performance.
During recovery tests and peak load moments, dedicated energy saving parameters and VSC management allow rapid response with minimal energy impact.
But technology alone doesn’t deliver excellence.
The real differentiator was the close engineering collaboration that allowed both companies to refine algorithms and parameters to perfection.
How Uğur Engineered the Leap to A‑Class Energy Performance
Uğur Cooling has successfully achieved A energy class performance in one of its cabinet models by utilizing an advanced thermostat controller. This achievement was not solely the result of component selection, but of a structured engineering approach supported by comprehensive validation tests conducted in full compliance with standards and under simulated real field conditions.
At the outset of the project, the operating principle of the EWNext978 was thoroughly analyzed to fully understand its capabilities and technical boundaries. The controller’s functional potential was carefully evaluated, and application-specific requirements were clearly defined. Energy efficiency and real-world performance were addressed together through a detailed control strategy assessment.
Following this technical groundwork, Uğur and Eliwell development teams worked closely through a series of structured meetings and iterative testing phases. Requirements were translated into measurable targets, and control parameters were optimized under scenarios replicating actual operating environments. This systematic approach ensured that energy efficiency improvements were achieved without compromising operational performance.
“The attainment of A energy class stands as a result of data-driven validation, precise control strategy development, and strong cross-functional collaboration between UGUR and Eliwell. The project demonstrates how electronic control thermostats, when properly understood and jointly developed, can become a strategic lever for sustainable efficiency gains.’’ MR Bora DEVRIM, Uğur COO.
The Results: A Giant Leap Forward
The upgraded Uğur coolers have achieved:
-
38% energy reduction for 300lt models
-
46% energy reduction for 450lt models
This achievement positions Uğur among the first manufacturers worldwide to offer 300- and 400-liter beverage coolers in Energy Class A.
And the collaboration is far from over: Eliwell and Uğur are already working on efficiency upgrades for larger plug in commercial coolers, expanding the impact of the solution.
Beyond Energy Savings: A Competitive Advantage
Energy efficiency is more than a performance metric: it’s an economic and environmental opportunity.
To illustrate the impact, consider a mid-sized city like Venice, with an estimated 2,000 commercial coolers.
If only half of them were replaced with Uğur’s Class A models:
-
consumption would drop from 600 kWh/year to 143 kWh/year per cooler
-
total savings would reach 457,000 kWh/year
-
equivalent to over €130,000 saved annually
-
equal to the energy consumption of 169 households
-
and a reduction of more than 150,000 kg of CO₂ each year
A compelling case where sustainability meets real world business value.
A Shared Vision for the Future
Eliwell’s Next platform continues to evolve.
In late 2025, the company introduced EWNext 1000, a new generation of advanced controllers designed for high efficiency refrigeration systems, with cutting edge modulation, humidity control, scalability, and connectivity.
Uğur is now evaluating the adoption of this new platform to upgrade larger and more sophisticated coolers to Class A.
The journey toward sustainable refrigeration continues: Uğur and Eliwell are shaping it together.
